Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-01-14
SELF.CONSCIOUSNESS OF GREAT
MEN,
From the Philadelphia Press.

"a DOOk ny uO less person IMAM I n1teu
States Senator Morrill, of Vermont has
the title, "Self-consciousnes of Noted
Persons" 1t is new book because new
to the public, though as matter of fact
there was private edition quite awhile
ago. The good gentleman who compiled
the anecdotes is getting along in years,
and there is special point to this bit of
verse from the poet Gray on the title
page of the volume in hand:
"For who, to dumb torgetfulness prey,
This pleasing, anxious being e'er resigned,
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing, lingering look be
hindu"
This compilation of stories, then, serves
as the little memento to be left behind by
the venerable Senator. May he live long
enough to compile companion set on
'The Modesty of Persons Unknown to
Fame" Some of the best of the anecdotes
now follow:
Napoleon said: "1'here is nothing in
war cannot do with my own hands. =
"After all that have done. she exclaim-
ed one day, as if to stop the mouth of
some flatterer, sis it anything compared
with what Christ has done?' He told
Las Casas that it was after storming the
bridge at Lodi "that he first conceived
he was to do great things" Said Napo-
leon one day when returning from parade,
"Bourienne, do you hear those acclama-
tons which still continue? They are as
sweet to me as the voice Of Josephine -
long series of almost uninterrupted
successes made Napoleon vain and self
confident. but the tlattery of his follow
ers was excessive, and now appears al
most incredible. They often said: 'God
created Napoleon and then rested"
John &. SAKE was the author of some
poems as witty as any ever written by
DR.. Holmes, and some of his punning
pieces are not eXcelled even by anything
of Tom Hoods. In his younger days,
as he began to be appreciated in society,
he not infrequently exhibited something
of natural cOncet. \ friend met him one
morning as he was coming from the
sanctum of the Boston Post, to which he
was frequent contributor as well as the
knickerbOcker, and, upon asking him as
to what he was doing, got his reply: 81
have just left with Col. Greene the finest
sonnet that has been written since the
days of Sir John Sucking
James Russell Lowell wrote as follows
of himself:
"There's Lowell, who's striving Parnassus to
climb,
With whole bale of isns tied together with
rhyme;
He might get on alone spite of brambles and
bouldcrs,
But he can't with that bundle he has on hi.
shoulders.
The top of the hill he'll ne'cr come nigh reach
ing
Till he learns the distinction between sing
ing and preaching.
His Tyre has some chords that would ring
pretty well,
But he would rather by half make drum o
the shell,
And rattle away till he's as old as Methusalen
At the head OF IL march to the last New .Jeru
salem"
The Due de Lewis used to show an old
painting which represented one of hi,
ancestors as Prince of Judah bowling tC
the Virgin Mary, who says: "Couvre,
vous, mon cousin" That is, the Virgin
Mary being on familiar terms with the
prince, said: PUT on your hat, my
cousin" This was fairly matched by the
well-known family of Croy, vain of al
equally silly picture, which showed y oal
entering the ark and crying out, "Sauve'
les papiers de la maison de Croy."
OF Mirabcau, Chateaubriand relate,
that when young man he met and sa
next him at dinner, where the converse
ton turned upon the subject of Mirabeau'
enemies. Being young man he had moi
uttered "A word; but Mirabeau. he says
''looked me full in the face with his eye,
of wickedness and genius, and, laying
his broad hand on my shoulder, said
= They will never forgive me my superb
GRITTY"
Cardinal Richelieu was said to pride
himself greatly on his personal activity
for his vanity was as remarkable as hi
ambition. \ nobleman of the house OF
Grammont one day found him employed
in jumping, and with the savoir faire OF
Frenchman and courtier offered t,
Jump against him. He suffered the ear
dinal to jump higher, and soon founC
himself rewarded by appointment.
When asked at his trial his name anC
place of abode, Danton answered: My
name is Danton-a name tolerably wei
known in the revolution; my abode vii
soon be humiliation, but | shall live il
the pantheon of history"
In his song to "My Dear and Only Love"
the Marquis of Montrose has the follow
ing
"I'll make the, famous by my pen
Il.